Rangelands 2(3), June 1980
105
Calf crops have decreased by 15% and weights have
ConclusIon
decreased by 80 pounds.
Of the above ten allotments five showed increasesin calf
The Parashaunt Allotment, a rest-rotation system, has crops, two showed no changes, two reported no calf crops
shown a dramatic increases in calf crop of 25% and a 150- data, and one reported a decreasein calf crops. Calf weights
pound increasein calfweights. A large partof this increaseis showed increasesin four allotments, two allotments did not
due to large pinyon-juniper acreagesbeing converted into report calf weights, one showed no change in calf weights,
grasslands.
and three allotments showed decreases in calf weights.
Calf weights decreased on the Clayhole and Mainstreet
The ToquerTank Allotment, a rest-rotation allotment, has
because
on those allotments the maximum allowable use
shown a 10% increasein calfcropand a 25-poundincreasein
and
overuse,
respectively,in their utilization of each year's
calf weights. This has occurred on native desertgrassland.
forage is occurring within their specific grazing systems.
The Clayhole Allotment, a rest-rotation allotment, has This is causing stress on the livestock. In other words, too
shown a decrease in calf weights since grazing systems much is being taken from too little.
The other allotments all show lower utilization of their
implementation. The average calf weight prior to (7 years)
rotation grazingwas415 pounds; 10years of rotation grazing forage resources,or if higher utilization of forage is occurhas yielded an averagecalf weight of 390 pounds—amajor ring, it's on very good condition allotments and their calf
reduction in calf weights since rotation grazing.
crops and weights leave little room for improvement.The
TheMt. Trumbull Allotment, a rest-rotation grazing system, latter isthe caseofJacksonTank andLittleTank.Theformer
showed a 25-pound increasein calf weights. This allotment, is the case in the other six allotments (Beaver Dam Slope,
and
however, has had large chainings of pinyon-juniper to con- Lower Hurricane, Little Wolf, Parashaunt, Toquer Tank,
Mt.
Trumbull).
vert trees to grass which contributes largely to increasesin
calf weights.
Perennial Grass Improves with Moderate
Stocking
W. James Rivers and S. Clark Martin
Recordsof range conditions on the SantaRita Experimental RangenearTucson, Arizona,show that speciescomposition of perennial grasses has improved since 1942 under
moderate grazing. Mid-grasses such as Arizona cottontop
(Trichachne californica), bush muhly (Muhienbergia porten), and black grama (Boute!oua oriopoda) increased by
half. Short grasses such as Santa Rita threeawn (Aristida
glabrata), slender grama(Bouteloua fi/iformis), and sprucetopgrama (Boufe/Qua chondrosioides) decreasedby about
athird. Rothrock gramaBoufe!oua rothrockii), a short-lived,
short-rooted perennial grass, decreased by over two thirds.
Other perennial grassesshowed little change.
The data, from three pastures differing in elevation and
rainfall, are 5-year averagesfor the periods 1942-1946 and
1962-1966. Composition wasdetermined by plant counts on
paced transects.
All pastures were grazed yearlong 1942-1956. The lowelevation unitwas cross-fenced in 1956. From 1957through
1966 the north half was grazed November-April each year
and the south halfwasgrazed May-October.Neitherofthese
half-year grazing schedules improved the range more
rapidly than continuous yearlong grazing; if anything,
responses of perennial grasses were less favorable under
double stocking for halfthe year. The middle elevationpasture continued to be grazed yearlong through 1966. The
upper elevation pasturewas restedalternatesummers(JulyRiversisaforesterwith CoronadoNationalForest, Tucson,Arizona.Martin
is a Range Scientist(retired), Rocky MountainForestand Range Experiment
Station, Tempe,Arizona.
September) from 1957 to 1966. The vegetation responses
under this schedule were no better than for comparable
pastures grazed yearlong. Thus, improvement in species
composition cannot be attributed to changes in grazing
schedules in any of the pastures.
From 1942-1957 all three pastureswere stocked at whatat
that time were considered to be conservative levels. The
objective was to use 50%of the perennialgrass herbagewith
animal numbersadjustedannually somewhat in accordance
with forage supply. Average utilization of perennialgrasses
from 1942-1946 was 54% for the low elevation pasture,52%
for the middle elevation pasture, and 58% for the upper
elevation unit.
In 1957the utilization objective wasloweredto 40% ofthe
perennial grass herbage and a better basis for adjusting
cattle numbers had been developed. During the 1962-1966
period, averageuse at the lowerand middle elevation pastures was 49%. Useat the upper elevationwas42%, a marked
dropfrom the earlierperiod. Utilization variedmarkedlyfrom
year to year even though cattlenumberswere adjustedeach
fall. Since it was not economically feasible to adjust animal
numbersstrictlyin accordance with forage supply, use was
much heavierin years of low forage production than in years
of higher production.
The lowest elevation, driest pasture,(3,000feet elevation
with average annual rainfall 11.5 inches) is dominated by
desertshrub vegetation and was stocked at 10.6 acres/AUM
(1962-66). At this elevationthe percentageof mid-grassesin
the stand increasedfrom 53°Io to 67%. SantaRita threeawn,
Rangelands2(3), June 1980
106
the dominant short grassinthis pasture,decreasedfrom25%
to 16%. Rothrock grama dropped from 11% to 6%. Other
perennial grasses made up 11% of the composition in both
periods.
The mid-elevation pasture (3,500 feet elevation, 13.5
inches precipitation) was stocked at 7.7 acres/AUM (196266). Here mid-grasses increased from 37% to 72%. Short
grassesdropped from 22% to 11%. Rothrockgrama madeup
6% ofthe perennial grassstand inthe 1962-1966 period, only
one-fourth as much as at the earlier measurement. Other
perennial grasses, most of which were short grasses,
decreasedfrom 17%to only 11%. The pronouncedincrease
in mid-grassesand the sharp decreasein short grassesand
Rothrock grama are definite improvements in the forage
stand.
The upper pasture (4,000feet elevation, 16 inches annual
precipitation) was stocked at the rate of 4.2 acres/AUM
(1962-66). Here mid-grasses increased from 29% to 43%.
Shortgrassesdecreasedfrom42%to 31%. Rothrock grama
decreased from 14% to 3%. Meanwhile other grasses
increased from 15% to 23%. At this elevation the "other
grasses"were mostly mid-grasses,including sideoatsgrama
(Bouteloua curtipendula), green sprangletop (Leptochioa
dubia), plains lovegrass(Eragrostisintermedia), and plains
bristlegrass(Setariamacrostachya).
Earlierstudies on the Santa RitaRangeshowed the rateof
range recovery under conservtive grazing was about the
same as the recovery rate under continous protection from
livestock grazing, provided the productivity of semidesert
grasslandrange has not beengreatly impaired.Theseresults
confirm that complete protection from cattle over long periods is not necessary for range recovery and that moderate
stocking allows acceptable rates of recovery and improvement. Improvement in perennial grass composition was
achievedwhile grazing at a moderateuselevel,withstocking
adjusted annually in responseto changesin forage production. Other results from the Santa Rita show it is especially
important to reduce animal numbers in the fall following
severe summer drought and to keep stocking down for at
least 1 year after the drought ends.
SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT
ComparitiveOperating Statementto Budget
May 1, 1980
Expense item
1. Payroll
2. Payroll Taxes
3. Emp. Insurance
4. Dues & Subscrip.
5. Interest
6. Postage & Handling
7. Stationary Suppl.
8. Travel
9. Telephone
10. Equip. Maint.
11. Legal & Acct.
12. Monetary exchg.
13. Pension Fund
14. Printing
15. Jewelry
16. Awards & Disp.
17. Annual Mtg.
18. Equip Lease
19. Bldg. Ins.
20. Repairs & Maint.
21. Utilities
22. Prop. & othertaxes
23. Accreditation
24. Misc.
25. Certification
26. OWRC Films
Totals
Budget
$86,300.00
Actual Expense
1,500.00
500.00
8,150.00
12,500.00
4,500.00
13,000.00
4,000.00
3,500.00
1,500.00
.00
00.00
48,000.00
200.00
1,000.00
21,000.00
12,600.00
943.00
4,000.00
2,200.00
4,000.00
00.00
7,800.00
100.00
6,000.00
$31,453.28
1,586.82
164.79
(19.00)
5,447.87
3,602.85
3,061.84
2,740.31
1,535.00
596.23
265.00
38.16
00.00
19,433.34
74.40
600.00
8,599.17
3,904.73
00.00
3,780.31'
1,311.55
1,555.18
00.00
1,902.60
123.59
3,000.00
$250,253.00
$94,758.02
b,9btJ.OO
'dueto repairs completedin 1979 on roof, but not billed until 1980.
Income Item
1. Membership
2. Life Membership
3. Subscriptions
4. Advertising
5. Page Charges
6. Jewelry
7. Publications
8. Interest
9. Annual Meeting
10. Accreditation
11. Mem. Bldg Fund
12. Bldg. Lease
13. Donations
14. Building Blocks
15. Equip. Lease
16. Certification
17. Misc.
18. Money Exchg.
19. OWRCFilms
Budget
Income
$125,000.00
2,250.00
30,000.00
2,000.00
18,000.00
200.00
18,000.00
1,800.00
28,710.00
1,000.00
200.00
13,500.00
2,000.00
1,000.00
00.00
2,000.00
1,500.00
00.00
6,000.00
$43,717.85
1,660.00
10,064.72
253.24
4,706.70
106.75
6,850.36
00.00
13,000.00
2,500.00
.00
2,500.00
11,858.86
260.00
00.00
100.00
00.00
00.00
6,643.00
$253,160.00
$104,221.48